By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
The Kaduna State Police Command has arrested 41 suspected kidnappers and armed robbers and rescued seven kidnapped victims in a series of intelligence-led operations carried out across the state in March and April 2026.
Addressing journalists the Commissioner of Police, Kaduna State Command, CP Rabiu Muhammad, said the command also recovered 24 firearms, 200 rounds of live ammunition, and 50 rustled cows within the period under review.
CP Muhammad said the achievements were recorded through strategic operations and the unwavering commitment of officers under the leadership of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu. He described the successes as part of sustained efforts to combat crime and ensure the safety of all residents of Kaduna State.
Giving a breakdown of key operations, the CP disclosed that on April 7, 2026, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit arrested Samaila Ilyasu of Kurata, Kagarko LGA, for illegal dealing in firearms. Twenty locally made Dane guns were recovered from the suspect during the targeted operation at the Kagarko axis.
He said two suspected kidnappers, Abdullahi Suleiman and Jibril Isyaku, both of Anchau Village, were arrested on April 11, 2026, following credible intelligence on kidnapping activities around Tashan Yari Village in Makarfi LGA. Both suspects, the CP added, have confessed to their involvement and investigations are ongoing.
According to him, the command also arrested three suspected kidnappers’ informants within the period. They include Ali Usman of Ladduga Village, Kachia LGA, arrested on March 16, 2026; Haruna Abubakar, 30, of Sabon Birni Village, Giwa LGA, arrested on April 11, 2026; and Yusufa Audu, 25, of Kadage Village, Kauru LGA, arrested on March 22, 2026. The CP noted that Audu confessed to supplying illicit drugs and intelligence to bandits operating within the Kadage forest.
On culpable homicide, CP Muhammad said detectives arrested Umar Yusuf, 25, and Jibril Lawal, 29, both of Wuzatta Village, Giwa LGA, on April 2, 2026. The suspects were tracked to Zaria following reliable intelligence on a syndicate involved in homicide around Wuzatta Village and are currently in custody.
He further revealed that on April 1, 2026, at about 2240hrs, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, State CID Kaduna, intercepted 200 rounds of live ammunition concealed in a sack of guinea corn. Two suspects, Isah Abdullahi, 40, and Muhammad Salisu, 30, both from Tsafe LGA, Zamfara State, were arrested and confessed to transporting the ammunition to a suspect still at large.
The CP said a notorious drug dealer, Mohd Sani, also known as “Shanuna,” was arrested on April 1, 2026, at about 1330hrs in Rigasa following a tip-off from a good Samaritan. He described the suspect as a phone snatcher and member of a criminal gang terrorizing Tashar Kare, Rigasa, and the Railway axis, adding that the arrest was made in collaboration with the Strike Force.
On April 8, 2026, he said, two notorious kidnappers, Idris Abubakar of Zuntu and Ibrahim Bello of Doguwa LGA, Kano State, were arrested by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit in collaboration with the Civilian Joint Task Force. The arrest followed credible intelligence on a syndicate operating in Pambegua, Zuntu, and Dutsen Wai areas of Kubau LGA.
The command also arrested two suspected cattle rustlers, Abdulkadir Haruna, 30, of Soba LGA and Buhari Hassan, 25, of Giwa LGA, on April 3, 2026, at about 0600hrs. Twenty rustled cows were recovered after police laid ambush at Kufena Unguwan Fulani based on credible information, the CP stated.
CP Muhammad said operatives of Operation Fushin Kada Surveillance Team arrested suspected kidnappers Rabiu Wada and Iliayasu Auwalu on April 9, 2026, based on intelligence from the Tracking and Intelligence Unit, Abuja. The suspects confessed to membership of a syndicate specializing in kidnapping and cattle rustling within the state.
He added that on April 1, 2026, the same team stormed Rigasa and arrested 13 suspects for armed robbery, phone snatching, and thuggery. The suspects — Ahmed Usman, Yusuf Usman, Hussaini Abdullahi, Isah Abdullahi, Ahmed Musa, Adam Abdullahi, Umar Usman, Yusuf Sale, Bilyaminu Abubakar, Hussaini Labiru, Fahad Babangida, Mohammed Sani, and Hussaini Mohammed — all confessed to the crimes during interrogation.
Other arrests include Adamu Amadu, a suspected kidnapper arrested on March 21, 2026, in Kadugu Village, Lere LGA; Moses Bulus, 23, and Suleiman Idris, 27, arrested on April 11, 2026, for motorcycle snatching, along with receivers Peter Ishaya, 35, and Emmanuel Alamus, 45; and Aliyu Usama, 24, a notorious thief arrested the same day with 25 pieces of 12mm iron rod off-cuts stolen from Ahmadu Bello Stadium. One black TVS motorcycle was recovered from the motorcycle snatching gang.
CP Muhammad said the achievements testify to the command’s resolve to rid Kaduna State of criminal elements and ensure a safe environment for law-abiding citizens.
He thanked IGP Disu for his strategic guidance and Governor Uba Sani for his unwavering support, urging members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies.
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